Machine for washing oranges.



No. 772,441. PATENTED'OCT. 18, 1904.

A. TAPLN. MACHINE POR WASHING OPLAJWGLST APPLICATION FILED SBPT.23, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

(UNITED 'STATES Patented october 1e, 1904.

vPATiaia-fl OFFICE. l

fMAOHINE FoRwASHING ORANGES.

SQEQIFICATON Iforming part of Letters Patent No. 772,441, datedOctober 18, 19.04..

l l' Application filed September 23,1903, Serial Noi 174,297. @No model.) l l To all whom, it may concern/.f

y Be it known-that I, ALVINTAPLIN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Forestville,

in the county of Hartford and State of Gonnecticut, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Machines forv lashing Orangesof which the following is a specification. A

The invention relates to machines for washing oranges or other fruit; andthe objects of the improvement are simplicity and economy in construction and eiiiciency in operation.

In thehaccompanying drawings, Figure 1 isa plan view of the machine with the discharge' ing-incline in position to discharge the fruit.

Fig. 2 is a broken front elevation of the samel with the discharging-incline.broken off and turned back out of action. tional view of the same on the line of Fig. 1 and with the discharging-incline in the same position as in the said Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the said machine, showing the .rest or support for the upper end of the'discharging-'incline on the inner face of one end ot' the machine. l

The framework of the machine comprises four 'posts 5', two end pieces 6 7, and front and rear rails 8. eda water-tight trough or vessel 9 of substantially a semicircular form. A cylinder 10,' `covered with any suitable. filamentous brushing-surface 11, ismounted in suitable bearings on the said frame so'y as to extend downwardly into the trough o r vessel 9', asbest shown in Fig. 3. If the machineis to be driven by hand instead of by power', the shaft of the cylinder is provided with a crank 12,` by means i of which the said brushing-cylinder maybe rotated.l At the side which for .supporting bar, 16, the` ends of which rest upon y convenience is called the front of the machine there is a brush-supporting bar 13, which isv adj ustablyl the rearwardlyinclined upper `edges 17 of lthe two end piecesv Gand 7, which bar is further. secured by suspendingfdevices in the form of` springs`.18,7the saids'prings beingsecured to the said bar at `one vend and at the otherend Fig. 3 is a sec-- yto the supporting-bar 13.

Upon this frame there is mount? to an eyeddr other fastening device on the said end pieces, whereby the'said brush-supporting bar and this end of the brushing-surface, hereinafter described, is yieldingly held in its pobeing secured'at the other end to the lower ends of the springs 21, the upper ends of the said springs being secured by any suitable means It will thus be' seen that the flexible brnshingfsurface, which may be called the sui-rounding7 brushing surface, extends nearly around the brushingcylinder-'and is yieldingly supported from each end so as tov give in an edgewise and length- Wise direction, more or less, within certain limits between the.v rotary and non rotary brushes as circumstances may require and without anyv adjustment, while the front sup-l porting-bar is adjustably mounted in order to change the normal relation of the cylinder and surrounding brushing-surface to adapt the range of. thelself-adjustment to a gene-ral run of larger-orsmaller fr'uit-as, for instance, for grapefruit ororanges. This adjustment of the rangemakesno difference. inA the tension" of the `suspendi,ng-springs.` There areV only threev of `these suspending devices. in the Y form of springs 21 sothatthe fabric at' the front end is connectedv` tof the. frame at only.` three different points, while,the portionA of ythe `fabricbetiveen thesaidf'points is left free and unfastened, whereby different pointsin the width of Ithe fabric wi-llyield diiferently -underthe action of the fruitbeingcleaned.

At the front ofIk the machine is axdischarg` jing-incline 22, havingf a `front guide 23,'thev` ;uppe r end ofthe said; `inclineres'ting on the supporting-ledge 24 onthe inner face of the' end -pie'ce 6, while the otherend issecuredfby a hinge 25 tothe end piece 7, thesaid incline IOO 'l and 3 to the position shownin Fig. 2.

' are put-into the front of the machine at theA mouth of the pocket, between the brushingslanting downwardly to that side or end of l the machine which is at the right, as shown i in Figs. 1 and 2, and when in its active position substantially filling the space between the moving and stationary-brushing-surfaces, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3. vWhen desired to throw this incline out of action, it is only necessary to turn the same on the hinge 25 .to change its position from that shown in Fig. t -will thus be seen that the said incline is removably mounted in front of the brushingcylinder.

The brushing-surfaces both'for the rotary and non-rotary brushing may be of a filamentous material and of any ordinary construction for brushing, scrubbing, or scouring devices; but for cheapness and efficiency an ordinary c'oeoanut-{iber mat makes a good brushingsurface for the rotary brush and also for the non-rotary brush and its iiexible backing. This surrounding brushing-surface extends from a point in front of the brushing-cylinders around under the same and up over the top to or beyond the summit thereof. Atthe front it is remote from the cylinder to form the open mouth of a pocket to'catch the fruit, and it is loosely suspended from the ends, leaving the sides free and with a graduallyconverging open space between the outer and inner brushing-surfaces at the front and bottom. Y

In using the machine the discharging-incline is turned back out of the way, as shown in Fig. 2, and the oranges, fruit, or vegetables cylinder and the surrounding brushing-surface. For washing, the trough or vessel should be charged with water. The rotary brush is driven for brushing the fruit or other objects between the two opposing brushes. 1n so doing the flexible backing of the surrounding brushing-surface and the yielding capacity of the supports for the 'said surface readily accommodate the brushing-surfaces to fruit having a range of varying sizes, so as to efectually brush the same and also carry the fruit down through the vessel and up over the top of the rotary brushing-cylinder and down on the front side thereof. lf the discharging-incline 'is out of the way, so as not to intercept the fruit as it falls down the front of the cylinder into the mouth of the pocket, the fruit may be carried around repeatedly' until it is thoroughly cleaned. Then it is desired to discharge the fruit` the discharging-incline is turned into the position shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and then by .the continued rotary movement of the cylinder the fruit vis brought to the front and will fall upon the dischargingincline and roll out of the machine into any suitable receptacle that may have been arranged for its reception. Another lot offruit or other similar rounded objects can then be placed in the machine and the operation rcpeated. The objects operated upon are put into the machine and dischargedtherefrom at the front. They are always carried once around the cylinder, and by leaving the discharging-incline in its idle position they may be carried around the cylinder as many times as may be desired and until theyare found to be well cleaned.

In order to clearly distinguish from the prior art, it may be noted that the surrounding brushing-surface in my machine has a lilamentous brushing-surface supported on a ilexible hacking that is preferably in a sheet or blanket like form and is suspended from the frame by only two opposing sides or edges, leaving the other two side edges free from the frame. This differs from the yielding and surrounding brushing-surface of the Phelps t al. patent, No. 409,754, for fruit-cleaning machine, in which the brushing-surface is mounted on a series of rigid longitudinal strips forming backs or bodies which are made yielding, but not flexible, by being separately mounted on a hinge at one end, while the other end rests upon a spring. This makes them yielding in the direction that is permitted by the hinged ends. while the backs or bodies are unyieldi'ngin every other respect. .In my machine the backing being flexible of itself bends in various directions around the side of the orange or similar object pressing toward it, so that the brushing-surface will lit the said side to a greater extent than can a brushingsurface that is mounted on a rigid or wooden backing, as in the said Phelps et al. patent.

It is apparent that some changes from the specific construction herein disclosed may be made, and therefore I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise form of construction shown and described, but desire the liberty to make such changes in working my invention as may fairly come within the spirit and scope of the same.

I claim as my inventionl. The combination of the frame with the rotary filamentous brushing-cylinder, a surrounding filamentous brushing-surface having a flexible backing. a support for the said backing mounted on the said frame, means for yieldingly connecting the ends of the said brushing-surface with the said support, and means for adjusting the said support on the frame at one of the said ends.

2. The combination of the frame with the horizontally-arranged rotary brushing-cylinder mounted thereon, the surrounding'brushing-surface connected with the said frameand extending from a point in front of the said cylinder around under the same and up over .the top to the summit thereof, and adischarging-incline removably mounted in front of the said cylinder, whereby the objects being cleaned are entered and discharged from the same side of the said cylinder.

IOO

IIO

3. I ecombination of the frame vvith the rotary brushing-cylinder', a surrounding filamentous .brushing-surface having a fiexible backing in a sheet or blanket like formy and A suspending devices for connecting'the said surface 'andfbackrng to the.y said frame,the said-devicesbemg arranged forpyielding in v the edgewise direction of the said backing.

v said springs.

4:. The combination of the framewith the rotaryl ,brushing cylinder, a surrounding brushing-surface having a flexible backing,

lsprings for 'connecting one end of the said;

backing-"with a support on the frame, and

means for adjusting the support to which the.`

said springs are secured and means for connecting the other end of the s'aid backing with.

a-support,.whereby the space between the outer andinner brushing-surfaces may be bhanged -vvithout changing the tension of the 2o.

5. The combination'of the frame with the horizontally-arranged rotary brushing-cylinder, thesurrounding filamentousI brushing- Lsurface,'a` iexiblefabric forming the backing of .the said`brushingsurface and extending around the under side of the said cylinder,

lmeans forconnecting'ie end 0i th'e said fabric to the said frame and a plurality. of suspending .devices for connecting the other end to the frame, the said devices being arranged.

at different points in the Width of' the said fabric with the portion of the said fabric in- .well as fiatwise, v

termediate the said diiierent points' being left free to allowthe said fabric to yield differently at different points in its Width.

' 6.v In a washer', the combination of the f'rame with the filamentous brushing-cylinder, asur- :roundingI filamentous brushing-surface hav .ing a flexible backing and a yielding' connection acting in the edgewise direction of the said backing for mounting thesaid backing onthe said frame for yieldingledgewise as 7 The combination of the frame with the horizontally-arrangedy rotary brushing-cylinder, the surrounding brushing-surface connected with the said Iframe atthe frontof the said cylinder, extended around underv the same, and up over the top'toward the front, leaving an opening Where a portion of the cylinder is exposed and a removabledischargsupport mounted on the said frame, and means for adjusting the said support on the said frame.. s Y

9. The combination of the frame with the Ahorizontally-arranged brushing-cylinder, the

sunrounding brushing-surface suspended by. one end at the front, a bar connected with` the ,e opposite end of the saidsurrounding brushing-surface with the ends of the said bar slidingly supported at the upper part .of the said frame, and springs connected by one end to the said bar and by the other end to the said frame'. l f

l 10. -The combination of the frame with the horizontally -1 arranged brushing cylinder,' a

Isurrounding brushing-surface in the form of a flexible sheet or blanket extending from the front of the said cylinder down under the same and'V up over the summit thereof, means lfor connecting the said surrounding brushing-surface to the saidframe at the said front and a supporting device resting on the said frame and connected to the said surrounding brushing-surface on the'rear side of the summit of the said cylindervand to the rear ofl the delivery end of the said surrounding brushing-surface.

1l. The combination of the frame with the rotary brushing cylinder, the surrounding concave consisting of' a series of closely-set and substantially radially 'arranged filamentous material having a flexible backing in the form of a sheet or blanket, yielding devices for loosely suspending the said backing from its 'ends on the said frame and with its middle -portion extending around the under side of the said cylinder leaving a variable working IOC space between the said cylinder and concave, f

and means for adjusting the said concave to vary'the radial width of the said lWorking space. l y 4 12. The combination of the frame with the driven brushing-cjf'linder having a substantially continuous surface of` closely-set and substantially radially arranged filamentous material, the surrounding non-driven concave consisting o fl a continuous series of closclysct filamentous material and a backing of lilamentous material made up in the form of' a sheet or blanket, flexible in all di1ections,fa.nd means for suspending the said backing from its ends on lthe said frame with its middleI portion extending in a limp f'orm around the under side of' thel saidcylinder with a working space between the said cylinder and concave, the said backing being free to bend in every direction for embracing 'an extended sur fac c ofl globular objects as they are rolled through the said working space.

CALVIN TAPLIN. i

Witnesses: i

JAMES SHEPARD, SHEFFmL-D H. CLARKE. 

